Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 10, 1 October 2005 — Political parties [ARTICLE]

Political parties

This letter is in regards to Kēhaulani Lum's message, "Native Hawaiians: a thousand points of light" (from Chair Apoliona's September eolumn

space). To begin with, President Grover Cleveland was not a Republican as stated in the message. He was a Democrat who spoke out against the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. William McKinley, a Republican annexationist, heeame president and supported the overthrow. It is also of interest that the very "conservative champions" mentioned (Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr.) appointed the judges who voted against Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' recent ruling that Ms. Lumprotested against. It was the judge appointed by Bill Clinton (a Democrat) who dissented and voted with Kamehameha Schools. In other words, Democrats have a mueh more pro-Hawaiian stance than do Republicans. If theAkakaBill passes, it will have been written and introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka, a Democrat, and very likely, even though they are in the minority, receive more Democratic votes than Republican, as its key opponents in Washington are Republicans. Democratic policies are simply better for the lives of eonunon people, Hawaiian or otherwise. Oaniel Laraway Kapahulu, O'ahu